Blog

  • Building a Private On-Device AI Companion: What I Learned
    The starting question Rob Roy · robroy.online · April 2026 A few weeks ago I asked a simple question: could I take a small language model and teach it about one specific domain? That question led me through a full modern AI engineering stack — retrieval-augmented generation, embedding models, on-device inference, Core ML conversion, Apple … Read more
  • Netsolver: What 37 Years of DevOps Taught Me to Build
    After nearly four decades in systems administration and DevOps — including stints at IBM and Disney — I’ve managed a lot of infrastructure. Racks of servers, sprawling networks, machines spread across time zones. The tools we used were powerful, expensive, and designed for teams. Then I left enterprise. Now I run a home lab with … Read more
  • Xcode Debugging hint
    A lightweight, zero-cost debugging utility for Swift projects that automatically strips debug statements from release builds. ## Overview The `DebugHelpers.swift` file provides debug logging macros that are completely removed during release builds, ensuring zero performance impact in production. ## Features – **Zero runtime cost in release builds** – All debug code is stripped at compile … Read more
  • Introducing Flying Moose Alchemy
    I’ve been building websites for over two decades — starting with hand-coded HTML long before WordPress existed, and growing with the web ever since. Alongside my app development work, I take on web design projects for small businesses that need a real web presence without a big agency price tag. Why I Do This Same … Read more
  • I Used Claude Code to Build SmartFiler — Here’s the Honest Truth
    When I started building SmartFiler, I decided to use Claude Code throughout the development process. Not as a curiosity, but as a real part of my workflow. I’m an indie developer — solo, no team — so anything that moves the needle on speed matters. After shipping the app, here’s what I actually found. What … Read more